Srikanth set to lock horns with Praneeth in summit
New Delhi, April 15: Two Indians will clash in badminton Super Series final for the first time as Kidambi Srikanth faces B. Sai Praneeth at the Singapore Open on Sunday.
Srikanth notched up a 21-13, 21- 14 win over world no. 26 and 2014 Youth Olympic Games bronze medallist, Indonesia’s Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, to reach his third Super Series final.
Earlier, Praneeth, who reached finals of the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold in January, thrashed threetime Korea Masters Grand Prix Gold winner South Korea’s Lee Dong 21-6, 21-8.
India have thus joined an elite list of China, Indonesia and Denmark to have two shuttlers playing in the final of a Super Series event.
Praneeth executed his plans brilliantly to blow away his opponent in a 38minute match.
His drop shots and swift net-play left the Korean puzzled.
The 24-year-old grabbed a healthy 11-1 lead at the break in the opening game and never looked back, zooming to a 9-1 lead in the second game.
Srikanth fought back from 4-9 down in the opening game to win it in 17 minutes.
He reeled off five straight points to turn the tables on his opponent, taking charge of the proceedings from there on.
The two shuttlers have played five times against each other. Praneeth enjoys a 4-1 head-to-head record. The last time they clashed was at the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold where Praneeth won. In women’s singles, Carolina Marin entered her third consecutive Super Series final, beating Sung Ji Hyun of South Korea 21-9, 21-12. She faces Taiwan’s Tai Tzu Ying in the final, to whom she lost in the summit clash at the Malaysia Open. — PTI